72 - Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827–1875)

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827–1875) Mater dolorosa Model created in 1869 Patinated terracotta bust Signed “JBt Carpeaux” Bears the stamp “PROPRIETE CARPEAUX” with the imperial eagle and the stamp “ATELIER DEPOT 7 RUE BOILEAU AUTEUIL PARIS” Bears the number “1797” Titled “MATER DOLOROSA” on the front H. 65 cm Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux met his model, Jacintha, in the gardens of La Trinité. Moved by the despair of this grieving mother following the loss of her son, the sculptor took her to his studio to immortalize her expression. Beyond the religious image of the Mater dolorosa, the sculptor here engages in an academic tradition among 19th-century sculptors: the study of the expressive head. In 1870, the sculptor presented the marble version of this model at the Salon. While the work was produced in marble posthumously, the rare terracotta casts were made exclusively during the artist’s lifetime. Related works: -Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Mater dolorosa, between 1869 and 1870, terracotta, signed, studio stamp, H. 71.1 x W. 52.7 x D. 34.8 cm, Valenciennes, Museum of Fine Arts, inv. S.91.83; -Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, *Mater dolorosa*, c. 1869, plaster, H. 77 x W. 55 x D. 35 cm, Paris, Petit Palais, Museums of Fine Arts of the City of Paris, inv. PPS1541. Related literature: -Michel Poletti, Alain Richarme, *Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Sculptor: A Catalog Raisonné of His Published Works*, Paris, Les Expressions contemporaines, 2003; model listed under no. BU33, p. 135.